JP2021025268A - Shovel and support device of shovel - Google Patents

Abstract

To smoothen movement of a driven object when switching from autonomous control to manual control.SOLUTION: A shovel 100 comprises an operation device 26 for manually operating an actuator and an actuator drive device 50 that moves the operation device 26. The actuator drive device 50 is configured to move the operation device 26 corresponding to the actuator being moved by autonomous control. The actuators include, for example, a main actuator that moves in response to manual operation of the corresponding operation device 26, and a dependent actuator that moves in response to movement of the main actuator. The actuator drive device 50 is configured to move the operation device 26 corresponding to the dependent actuator that is moving by autonomous control, for example.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

The present disclosure relates to excavators as excavators.

Conventionally, there is known an excavator that automatically raises a boom by autonomous control during excavation by a bucket closing operation so that the peak value of the excavation reaction force does not exceed a predetermined value (see Patent Document 1).

International Publication No. 2015/194601

However, the above-mentioned excavator does not automatically tilt the boom operating lever when the boom is automatically raised. Therefore, the boom operating lever remains in the neutral state even when the boom 4 is automatically raised.

In this case, the operator does not know how much the boom operating lever needs to be tilted if the boom operating lever is manually operated to raise the boom 4 by the current autonomous control by manual control. Can not.

Therefore, the operator may not be able to start the movement of the boom by manual control without suddenly changing the movement of the boom by autonomous control.

Therefore, it is desirable to provide an excavator that can smooth the movement of the driven body when switching from autonomous control to manual control.

The excavator according to the embodiment of the present invention includes an operating device for manually operating the actuator and an operating tool driving device for moving the operating device, and the operating tool driving device is the actuator that is operated by autonomous control. It is configured to move the operating device corresponding to.

The above-mentioned excavator can smooth the movement of the driven body when switching from autonomous control to manual control.

It is a side view of the excavator which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of the excavator which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the configuration example of the basic system mounted on an excavator. It is a figure which shows the configuration example of the hydraulic system mounted on an excavator. It is a figure of the operation system concerning the operation of an arm cylinder. It is a figure of the operation system concerning the operation of a boom cylinder. It is a figure of the operation system concerning the operation of a bucket cylinder. It is a figure of the operation system concerning the operation of a turning hydraulic motor. It is a functional block diagram of a controller. It is a figure which shows the configuration example of the right operation lever. It is a left side view of the excavation attachment when the leveling work is performed. It is a figure which shows the time transition of the arm closing pilot pressure and boom raising pilot pressure at the time of switching from autonomous control to manual control. It is the schematic which shows the configuration example of the remote control system of an excavator.

First, the excavator 100 as an excavator according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a side view of the excavator 100, and FIG. 2 is a top view of the excavator 100.

In the present embodiment, the lower traveling body 1 of the excavator 100 includes a crawler 1C as a driven body. The crawler 1C is driven by a traveling hydraulic motor 2M mounted on the lower traveling body 1. However, the traveling hydraulic motor 2M may be a traveling motor generator as an electric actuator. Specifically, the crawler 1C includes a left crawler 1CL and a right crawler 1CR. The left crawler 1CL is driven by the left traveling hydraulic motor 2ML, and the right crawler 1CR is driven by the right traveling hydraulic motor 2MR. Since the lower traveling body 1 is driven by the crawler 1C, it functions as a driven body.

An upper swivel body 3 is mounted on the lower traveling body 1 so as to be swivelable via a swivel mechanism 2. The swivel mechanism 2 as the driven body is driven by the swivel hydraulic motor 2A mounted on the upper swivel body 3. However, the swing hydraulic motor 2A may be a swing motor generator as an electric actuator. Since the upper swivel body 3 is driven by the swivel mechanism 2, it functions as a driven body.

A boom 4 as a driven body is attached to the upper swing body 3. An arm 5 as a driven body is attached to the tip of the boom 4, and a driven body and a bucket 6 as an end attachment are attached to the tip of the arm 5. The boom 4, arm 5, and bucket 6 form an excavation attachment, which is an example of the attachment. The boom 4 is driven by the boom cylinder 7, the arm 5 is driven by the arm cylinder 8, and the bucket 6 is driven by the bucket cylinder 9.

A boom angle sensor S1 is attached to the boom 4, an arm angle sensor S2 is attached to the arm 5, and a bucket angle sensor S3 is attached to the bucket 6.

The boom angle sensor S1 detects the rotation angle of the boom 4. In the present embodiment, the boom angle sensor S1 is an acceleration sensor and can detect a boom angle which is a rotation angle of the boom 4 with respect to the upper swing body 3. The boom angle becomes the minimum angle when the boom 4 is lowered to the maximum, and increases as the boom 4 is raised.

The arm angle sensor S2 detects the rotation angle of the arm 5. In the present embodiment, the arm angle sensor S2 is an acceleration sensor and can detect an arm angle which is a rotation angle of the arm 5 with respect to the boom 4. The arm angle becomes the minimum angle when the arm 5 is closed most, and increases as the arm 5 is opened.

The bucket angle sensor S3 detects the rotation angle of the bucket 6. In the present embodiment, the bucket angle sensor S3 is an acceleration sensor and can detect a bucket angle which is a rotation angle of the bucket 6 with respect to the arm 5. The bucket angle is, for example, the minimum angle when the bucket 6 is closed most, and increases as the bucket 6 is opened.

The boom angle sensor S1, arm angle sensor S2, and bucket angle sensor S3 are a potentiometer using a variable resistor, a stroke sensor that detects the stroke amount of the corresponding hydraulic cylinder, and a rotary encoder that detects the rotation angle around the connecting pin, respectively. , A gyro sensor, a combination of an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor, or the like.

The upper swing body 3 is provided with a cabin 10 as a driver's cab, and is equipped with a power source such as an engine 11. Further, a controller 30, an object detection device 70, an image pickup device 80, an orientation detection device 85, an airframe tilt sensor S4, a swivel angular velocity sensor S5, and the like are attached to the upper swivel body 3. An operation device 26 and the like are provided inside the cabin 10. In this document, for convenience, the side of the upper swing body 3 to which the boom 4 is attached is referred to as the front, and the side to which the counterweight is attached is referred to as the rear.

The controller 30 is a control device for controlling the excavator 100. In the present embodiment, the controller 30 is composed of a computer including a CPU, RAM, NVRAM, ROM, and the like. Then, the controller 30 reads the program corresponding to each functional element from the ROM, loads it into the RAM, and causes the CPU to execute the corresponding process.

The object detection device 70 is configured to detect an object existing around the excavator 100. Further, the object detection device 70 may be configured to calculate the distance from the object detection device 70 or the excavator 100 to the recognized object. The object is, for example, a person, an animal, a vehicle, a construction machine, a building, a hole, or the like. The object detection device 70 is, for example, an ultrasonic sensor, a millimeter wave radar, a stereo camera, a LIDAR, a range image sensor, an infrared sensor, or the like. In the present embodiment, the object detection device 70 includes a front sensor 70F which is a lidar attached to the front end of the upper surface of the cabin 10, a rear sensor 70B which is a lidar attached to the rear end of the upper surface of the upper swing body 3, and an upper swing body 3. Includes a left sensor 70L which is a lidar attached to the left end of the upper surface of the upper surface, and a right sensor 70R which is a lidar attached to the right end of the upper surface of the upper swing body 3.

The object detection device 70 may be configured to detect a predetermined object in a predetermined area set around the excavator 100. For example, it may be configured to distinguish between a person and a non-human object.

The image pickup apparatus 80 is configured to image the surroundings of the excavator 100. In the present embodiment, the image pickup apparatus 80 includes a rear camera 80B attached to the rear end of the upper surface of the upper swing body 3, a left camera 80L attached to the left end of the upper surface of the upper swing body 3, and an upper surface of the upper swing body 3. Includes the right camera 80R attached to the right end. The image pickup apparatus 80 may include a front camera.

The rear camera 80B is arranged adjacent to the rear sensor 70B, the left camera 80L is arranged adjacent to the left sensor 70L, and the right camera 80R is arranged adjacent to the right sensor 70R. The front camera may be arranged adjacent to the front sensor 70F.

The image captured by the image pickup device 80 is displayed on the display device DS installed in the cabin 10. The image pickup device 80 may be configured so that a viewpoint conversion image such as a bird's-eye view image can be displayed on the display device DS. The bird's-eye view image is generated by synthesizing the images output by each of the rear camera 80B, the left camera 80L, and the right camera 80R, for example.

The image pickup device 80 may function as an object detection device. In this case, the object detection device 70 may be omitted.

With this configuration, the excavator 100 can display an image of the object detected by the object detection device 70 on the display device DS. Therefore, when the operation of the driven body is restricted or prohibited, the operator of the excavator 100 can immediately confirm what the object that caused the movement is by looking at the image displayed on the display device DS. it can.

The orientation detection device 85 is configured to detect information regarding the relative relationship between the orientation of the upper swivel body 3 and the orientation of the lower traveling body 1 (hereinafter, referred to as "direction information"). For example, the orientation detection device 85 may be composed of a combination of a geomagnetic sensor attached to the lower traveling body 1 and a geomagnetic sensor attached to the upper rotating body 3. Alternatively, the orientation detection device 85 may be composed of a combination of a GNSS receiver attached to the lower traveling body 1 and a GNSS receiver attached to the upper rotating body 3. In the configuration in which the upper swivel body 3 is swiveled and driven by the swirling motor generator, the orientation detection device 85 may be configured by a resolver. The orientation detection device 85 may be arranged, for example, at a center joint provided in connection with the swivel mechanism 2 that realizes relative rotation between the lower traveling body 1 and the upper swivel body 3.

The airframe tilt sensor S4 detects the tilt of the excavator 100 with respect to a predetermined plane. In the present embodiment, the airframe tilt sensor S4 is an acceleration sensor that detects the tilt angle of the front-rear axis and the tilt angle of the left-right axis of the upper swing body 3 with respect to the horizontal plane. It may be composed of a combination of an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor. The front-rear axis and the left-right axis of the upper swivel body 3 pass, for example, the excavator center point which is one point on the swivel axis of the excavator 100 orthogonal to each other.

The turning angular velocity sensor S5 detects the turning angular velocity of the upper swing body 3. In this embodiment, it is a gyro sensor. It may be a resolver, a rotary encoder, or the like. The turning angular velocity sensor S5 may detect the turning velocity. The turning speed may be calculated from the turning angular velocity.

Hereinafter, any combination of the boom angle sensor S1, the arm angle sensor S2, the bucket angle sensor S3, the body tilt sensor S4, and the turning angular velocity sensor S5 is collectively referred to as an attitude sensor.

Next, the basic system mounted on the excavator 100 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 shows a configuration example of a basic system mounted on the excavator 100. In FIG. 3, the mechanical power transmission line is indicated by a double line, the hydraulic oil line is indicated by a thick solid line, the pilot line is indicated by a broken line, the power line is indicated by a fine solid line, and the electric control line is indicated by a single-dot chain line.

The basic system is mainly an engine 11, a main pump 14, a pilot pump 15, a control valve unit 17, an operating device 26, an operating sensor 29, a controller 30, a proportional valve 31, an alarm device 49, an operating tool driving device 50, and an object detection. It includes a device 70, an engine control unit (ECU 74), an engine rotation speed adjustment dial 75, an image pickup device 80, and the like.

The engine 11 is a diesel engine that employs isochronous control that maintains the engine speed constant regardless of the increase or decrease in load. The fuel injection amount, fuel injection timing, boost pressure, etc. in the engine 11 are controlled by the ECU 74. The engine 11 is connected to each of the main pump 14 and the pilot pump 15 as hydraulic pumps. The main pump 14 is connected to the control valve unit 17 via a hydraulic oil line.

The control valve unit 17 is a flood control device that controls the hydraulic system of the excavator 100. The control valve unit 17 is connected to a hydraulic actuator such as a left traveling hydraulic motor 2ML, a right traveling hydraulic motor 2MR, a boom cylinder 7, an arm cylinder 8, a bucket cylinder 9, and a turning hydraulic motor 2A. Specifically, the control valve unit 17 includes a plurality of spool valves corresponding to each hydraulic actuator. Each spool valve is configured to be displaceable according to the pilot pressure so that the opening area of the PC port and the opening area of the CT port can be increased or decreased. The PC port is a port that communicates the main pump 14 and the hydraulic actuator. The CT port is a port for communicating the hydraulic actuator and the hydraulic oil tank.

The operating device 26 is a device used by the operator to operate the actuator. Actuators include at least one of a hydraulic actuator and an electric actuator. In the present embodiment, the operating device 26 is an electric operating device including an electric pilot circuit. The lever operation amount (lever operation angle) of the electric operation lever in the electric operation device is input to the controller 30 as an electric signal. A solenoid valve is arranged between the pilot port of the control valve corresponding to each of the hydraulic actuators and the pilot pump 15. The solenoid valve is configured to operate in response to an electrical signal from the controller 30. With this configuration, when a manual operation using an electric operation lever is performed, the controller 30 moves each control valve by controlling the solenoid valve by an electric signal corresponding to the lever operation amount to increase or decrease the pilot pressure. be able to. The operating device 26 includes, for example, a left operating lever, a right operating lever, and a traveling operating device. The travel control device includes, for example, a travel lever and a travel pedal. Each control valve may be composed of an electromagnetic spool valve. In this case, the electromagnetic spool valve operates in response to an electric signal from the controller 30 corresponding to the lever operation amount of the electric operation lever.

The discharge pressure sensor 28 detects the discharge pressure of the main pump 14. In the present embodiment, the discharge pressure sensor 28 outputs the detected value to the controller 30.

The operation sensor 29 is configured to detect the content of the operation of the operation device 26 by the operator. In the present embodiment, the operation sensor 29 is a rotation angle sensor, and detects the operation direction and the operation amount of the operation device 26 corresponding to each of the actuators in the form of the rotation angle of the rotation shaft attached to the operation tool. The detected value is output to the controller 30. The operating tool is, for example, a lever or a pedal. The operation content of the operation device 26 may be detected by using a sensor other than the rotation angle sensor.

The proportional valve 31 is arranged in a pilot line connecting the pilot pump 15 and each control valve included in the control valve unit 17, and is configured so that the flow path area of each pilot line can be changed. In the present embodiment, the proportional valve 31 is configured to operate in response to a current command output by the controller 30. Therefore, the controller 30 supplies the hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to the pilot port of the corresponding control valve in the control valve unit 17 via the proportional valve 31 regardless of the operation of the operating device 26 by the operator. However, the desired pilot pressure can be applied to each pilot port.

The alarm device 49 is configured to call the attention of a person involved in the work of the excavator 100. The alarm device 49 may be composed of, for example, a combination of an indoor alarm device and an outdoor alarm device. The indoor alarm device is configured to call the attention of the operator of the excavator 100 in the cabin 10. The indoor alarm device includes, for example, at least one of a sound output device AD, a vibration generator, and a light emitting device provided in the cabin 10. The indoor alarm device may be a display device DS. The outdoor alarm device is configured to call the attention of workers working around the excavator 100. The outdoor alarm device includes, for example, at least one of a sound output device AD and a light emitting device provided outside the cabin 10. The sound output device AD as the outdoor alarm device may be, for example, a traveling alarm device attached to the bottom surface of the upper swing body 3. The outdoor alarm device may be a light emitting device provided on the upper swing body 3. However, the outdoor alarm device may be omitted. For example, when the object detection device 70 detects an object, the alarm device 49 may notify a person involved in the work of the excavator 100 to that effect.

The operation tool driving device 50 is configured to be able to move the operation tools constituting the operation device 26. The operating tool is, for example, a lever or a pedal. The operation tool driving device 50 is configured to move the operation tool in response to a control command from the controller 30. In the present embodiment, the operating tool driving device 50 is a torque motor, and is configured so that the operating tool can be moved without relying on the force of the operator. For example, the operating tool driving device 50 responds to the movement of the boom 4 as if the right operating lever is being operated by the operator when the boom 4 is automatically moved by the autonomous control described later. The right operating lever can be moved. In this case, the controller 30 generates a control command to be output to the operating tool driving device 50 based on the pilot pressure acting on the pilot port of the control valve related to the boom cylinder 7. This pilot pressure is generated by the controller 30 moving the proportional valve 31 in order to automatically move the boom 4, and is detected by a pilot pressure sensor (not shown). This means that by manually operating the right operating lever so that the pilot pressure is generated, the same movement as the movement of the boom 4 realized by this autonomous control can be realized. The controller 30 may generate a control command to be output to the operating tool driving device 50 based on the displacement amount of the spool valve as the control valve for the boom cylinder 7. This displacement may be detected, for example, by a spool displacement sensor.

The ECU 74 outputs data related to the state of the engine 11, such as the cooling water temperature, to the controller 30. The regulator 13 of the main pump 14 outputs data regarding the tilt angle of the swash plate toward the controller 30. The discharge pressure sensor 28 outputs data regarding the discharge pressure of the main pump 14 toward the controller 30. The oil temperature sensor 14c provided in the pipeline between the hydraulic oil tank and the main pump 14 outputs data regarding the temperature of the hydraulic oil flowing in the pipeline to the controller 30. The operation sensor 29 outputs data regarding the pilot pressure generated when the operation device 26 is operated toward the controller 30. The controller 30 can store these data in a temporary storage unit (memory) and output the data to the display device DS when necessary.

The engine speed adjustment dial 75 is a dial for adjusting the speed of the engine 11. The engine speed adjustment dial 75 outputs data regarding the set state of the engine speed to the controller 30. The engine speed adjustment dial 75 is configured so that the engine speed can be switched in four stages of SP mode, H mode, A mode, and idling mode. The SP mode is a rotation speed mode selected when it is desired to prioritize the amount of work, and the highest engine speed is used. The H mode is a rotation speed mode selected when it is desired to achieve both work load and fuel consumption, and uses the second highest engine speed. The A mode is a rotation speed mode selected when it is desired to operate the excavator 100 with low noise while giving priority to fuel consumption, and uses the third highest engine speed. The idling mode is a rotation speed mode selected when the engine 11 is desired to be in an idling state, and the lowest engine speed is used. The engine 11 is controlled so as to be constant at the engine speed corresponding to the speed mode set by the engine speed adjustment dial 75.

The display device DS includes a control unit DSa, an image display unit DS1, and a switch panel DS2 as an input unit. The control unit DSa is configured to be able to control the image displayed on the image display unit DS1. In the present embodiment, the control unit DSa is composed of a computer including a CPU, RAM, NVRAM, ROM, and the like. In this case, the control unit DSa reads the program corresponding to each functional element from the ROM, loads it into the RAM, and causes the CPU to execute the corresponding process. However, each functional element may be composed of hardware or may be composed of a combination of software and hardware. Further, the image displayed on the image display unit DS1 may be controlled by the controller 30 or the image pickup apparatus 80.

The switch panel DS2 is a panel including a hardware switch. The switch panel DS2 may be a touch panel. The display device DS operates by receiving power supplied from the storage battery BT. The storage battery BT is charged with electricity generated by the alternator 11a, for example. The electric power of the storage battery BT may be supplied to the controller 30 or the like. The starter 11b of the engine 11 is driven by, for example, the electric power from the storage battery BT to start the engine 11.

The lever button LB is a button provided on the operating device 26. In the present embodiment, the lever button LB is a button provided at the tip of the operating lever as the operating device 26. The operator of the excavator 100 can operate the lever button LB while operating the operating lever. For example, the operator can press the lever button LB with his / her thumb while holding the operating lever by hand.

Next, a configuration example of the hydraulic system mounted on the excavator 100 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a hydraulic system mounted on the excavator 100. In FIG. 4, the mechanical power transmission system, the hydraulic oil line, the pilot line, and the electric control system are shown by double lines, solid lines, broken lines, and alternate long and short dash lines, respectively.

The hydraulic system of the excavator 100 mainly includes an engine 11, a regulator 13, a main pump 14, a pilot pump 15, a control valve unit 17, an operating device 26, a discharge pressure sensor 28, an operating sensor 29, a controller 30, and the like.

In FIG. 4, the hydraulic system circulates hydraulic oil from the main pump 14 driven by the engine 11 to the hydraulic oil tank via the center bypass pipeline 40 or the parallel pipeline 42.

The engine 11 is a drive source for the excavator 100. In the present embodiment, the engine 11 is, for example, a diesel engine that operates so as to maintain a predetermined rotation speed. The output shaft of the engine 11 is connected to each input shaft of the main pump 14 and the pilot pump 15.

The main pump 14 supplies hydraulic oil to the control valve unit 17 via the hydraulic oil line. In the present embodiment, the main pump 14 is a swash plate type variable displacement hydraulic pump.

The regulator 13 controls the discharge amount of the main pump 14. In the present embodiment, the regulator 13 controls the discharge amount of the main pump 14 by adjusting the swash plate tilt angle of the main pump 14 in response to a control command from the controller 30.

The pilot pump 15 is configured to supply hydraulic oil to the flood control device including the operating device 26 via the pilot line. In the present embodiment, the pilot pump 15 is a fixed displacement hydraulic pump. However, the pilot pump 15 may be omitted. In this case, the function carried out by the pilot pump 15 may be realized by the main pump 14. That is, the main pump 14 has a function of supplying the hydraulic oil to the operating device 26 and the like after reducing the pressure of the hydraulic oil by a throttle or the like, in addition to the function of supplying the hydraulic oil to the control valve unit 17. May be good.

The control valve unit 17 is a hydraulic control device that controls the hydraulic system in the excavator 100. In this embodiment, the control valve unit 17 includes control valves 171 to 176. The control valve 175 includes a control valve 175L and a control valve 175R, and the control valve 176 includes a control valve 176L and a control valve 1756. The control valve unit 17 can selectively supply the hydraulic oil discharged by the main pump 14 to one or a plurality of hydraulic actuators through the control valves 171 to 176. The control valves 171 to 176 control the flow rate of the hydraulic oil flowing from the main pump 14 to the hydraulic actuator and the flow rate of the hydraulic oil flowing from the hydraulic actuator to the hydraulic oil tank. The hydraulic actuator includes a boom cylinder 7, an arm cylinder 8, a bucket cylinder 9, a left traveling hydraulic motor 2ML, a right traveling hydraulic motor 2MR, and a turning hydraulic motor 2A.

The main pump 14 includes a left main pump 14L and a right main pump 14R. Then, the left main pump 14L circulates the hydraulic oil to the hydraulic oil tank via the left center bypass line 40L or the left parallel line 42L, and the right main pump 14R is the right center bypass line 40R or the right parallel line 42R. The hydraulic oil is circulated to the hydraulic oil tank via.

The left center bypass line 40L is a hydraulic oil line passing through the control valves 171, 173, 175L and 176L arranged in the control valve unit 17. The right center bypass line 40R is a hydraulic oil line passing through the control valves 172, 174, 175R and 176R arranged in the control valve unit 17.

The control valve 171 supplies the hydraulic oil discharged by the left main pump 14L to the left traveling hydraulic motor 2ML, and discharges the hydraulic oil discharged by the left traveling hydraulic motor 2ML to the hydraulic oil tank. A spool valve that switches the flow.

The control valve 172 supplies the hydraulic oil discharged by the right main pump 14R to the right traveling hydraulic motor 2MR, and discharges the hydraulic oil discharged by the right traveling hydraulic motor 2MR to the hydraulic oil tank. A spool valve that switches the flow.

The control valve 173 supplies the hydraulic oil discharged by the left main pump 14L to the swivel hydraulic motor 2A, and discharges the hydraulic oil discharged by the swivel hydraulic motor 2A to the hydraulic oil tank. It is a spool valve that switches.

The control valve 174 is a spool valve that supplies the hydraulic oil discharged by the right main pump 14R to the bucket cylinder 9 and switches the flow of the hydraulic oil in order to discharge the hydraulic oil in the bucket cylinder 9 to the hydraulic oil tank. ..

The control valve 175L is a spool valve that switches the flow of hydraulic oil in order to supply the hydraulic oil discharged by the left main pump 14L to the boom cylinder 7. The control valve 175R is a spool valve that supplies the hydraulic oil discharged by the right main pump 14R to the boom cylinder 7 and switches the flow of the hydraulic oil in order to discharge the hydraulic oil in the boom cylinder 7 to the hydraulic oil tank. ..

The control valve 176L is a spool valve that supplies the hydraulic oil discharged by the left main pump 14L to the arm cylinder 8 and switches the flow of the hydraulic oil in order to discharge the hydraulic oil in the arm cylinder 8 to the hydraulic oil tank. ..

The control valve 176R is a spool valve that supplies the hydraulic oil discharged by the right main pump 14R to the arm cylinder 8 and switches the flow of the hydraulic oil in order to discharge the hydraulic oil in the arm cylinder 8 to the hydraulic oil tank. ..

The left parallel pipeline 42L is a hydraulic oil line parallel to the left center bypass pipeline 40L. The left parallel pipeline 42L can supply hydraulic oil to a control valve further downstream when the flow of hydraulic oil through the left center bypass pipeline 40L is restricted or blocked by any of the control valves 171, 173, and 175L. .. The right parallel pipeline 42R is a hydraulic oil line parallel to the right center bypass pipeline 40R. The right parallel pipeline 42R can supply hydraulic oil to a control valve further downstream when the flow of hydraulic oil through the right center bypass pipeline 40R is restricted or blocked by any of the control valves 172, 174, and 175R. ..

The regulator 13 includes a left regulator 13L and a right regulator 13R. The left regulator 13L controls the discharge amount of the left main pump 14L by adjusting the swash plate tilt angle of the left main pump 14L according to the discharge pressure of the left main pump 14L. Specifically, the left regulator 13L reduces the discharge amount by adjusting the swash plate tilt angle of the left main pump 14L in response to an increase in the discharge pressure of the left main pump 14L, for example. The same applies to the right regulator 13R. This is to prevent the absorbed horsepower of the main pump 14, which is represented by the product of the discharge pressure and the discharge amount, from exceeding the output horsepower of the engine 11.

The operating device 26 includes a left operating lever 26L, a right operating lever 26R, and a traveling lever 26D. The traveling lever 26D includes a left traveling lever 26DL and a right traveling lever 26DR.

The left operating lever 26L is used for turning and operating the arm 5. When the left operating lever 26L is operated in the front-rear direction, the hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 is used to introduce a control pressure according to the lever operating amount into the pilot port of the control valve 176. Further, when the pilot pump 15 is operated in the left-right direction, the hydraulic oil discharged from the pilot pump 15 is used to introduce a control pressure according to the lever operation amount into the pilot port of the control valve 173.

Specifically, when the left operating lever 26L is operated in the arm closing direction, the hydraulic oil is introduced into the right pilot port of the control valve 176L and the hydraulic oil is introduced into the left pilot port of the control valve 176R. .. Further, when the left operating lever 26L is operated in the arm opening direction, the hydraulic oil is introduced into the left pilot port of the control valve 176L and the hydraulic oil is introduced into the right pilot port of the control valve 176R. Further, when the left operating lever 26L is operated in the left turning direction, hydraulic oil is introduced into the left pilot port of the control valve 173, and when the left operating lever 26L is operated in the right turning direction, the right pilot port of the control valve 173 is introduced. Introduce hydraulic oil to.

The right operating lever 26R is used for operating the boom 4 and the bucket 6. When the right operating lever 26R is operated in the front-rear direction, the hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 is used to introduce a control pressure according to the lever operating amount into the pilot port of the control valve 175. Further, when the pilot pump 15 is operated in the left-right direction, the hydraulic oil discharged from the pilot pump 15 is used to introduce a control pressure according to the lever operation amount into the pilot port of the control valve 174.

Specifically, when the right operating lever 26R is operated in the boom lowering direction, hydraulic oil is introduced into the left pilot port of the control valve 175R. Further, when the right operating lever 26R is operated in the boom raising direction, the hydraulic oil is introduced into the right pilot port of the control valve 175L, and the hydraulic oil is introduced into the left pilot port of the control valve 175R. Further, the right operating lever 26R causes hydraulic oil to be introduced into the right pilot port of the control valve 174 when operated in the bucket closing direction, and is introduced into the left pilot port of the control valve 174 when operated in the bucket opening direction. Introduce hydraulic oil.

The traveling lever 26D is used for operating the crawler 1C. Specifically, the left traveling lever 26DL is used for operating the left crawler 1CL. It may be configured to work with the left travel pedal. When the left traveling lever 26DL is operated in the front-rear direction, the hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 is used to introduce a control pressure according to the lever operating amount into the pilot port of the control valve 171. The right traveling lever 26DR is used to operate the right crawler 1CR. It may be configured to work with the right-hand drive pedal. When the right traveling lever 26DR is operated in the front-rear direction, the hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 is used to introduce a control pressure according to the lever operation amount into the pilot port of the control valve 172.

The discharge pressure sensor 28 includes a discharge pressure sensor 28L and a discharge pressure sensor 28R. The discharge pressure sensor 28L detects the discharge pressure of the left main pump 14L and outputs the detected value to the controller 30. The same applies to the discharge pressure sensor 28R.

The operation sensor 29 includes operation sensors 29LA, 29LB, 29RA, 29RB, 29DL, and 29DR. The operation sensor 29LA detects the content of the operator's operation of the left operation lever 26L in the front-rear direction in the form of a rotation angle around the first rotation axis (rotation axis parallel to the Y axis) of the left operation lever 26L. , The detected value is output to the controller 30. The operation contents are, for example, a lever operation direction and a lever operation amount (lever operation angle).

Similarly, the operation sensor 29LB describes the content of the operator's operation on the left operation lever 26L in the left-right direction in the form of the rotation angle around the second rotation axis (rotation axis parallel to the X axis) of the left operation lever 26L. Detects with, and outputs the detected value to the controller 30. The operation sensor 29RA detects the content of the operator's operation of the right operating lever 26R in the front-rear direction in the form of a rotation angle around the first rotation axis (rotation axis parallel to the Y axis) of the right operation lever 26R. , The detected value is output to the controller 30. The operation sensor 29RB detects the content of the operator's operation of the right operation lever 26R in the left-right direction in the form of a rotation angle around the second rotation axis (rotation axis parallel to the X axis) of the right operation lever 26R. , The detected value is output to the controller 30. The operation sensor 29DL detects the content of the operator's operation of the left travel lever 26DL in the front-rear direction in the form of the rotation angle around the rotation axis of the left travel lever 26DL, and outputs the detected value to the controller 30. To do. The operation sensor 29DR detects the content of the operator's operation of the right traveling lever 26DR in the front-rear direction in the form of the rotation angle around the rotation axis of the right traveling lever 26DR, and outputs the detected value to the controller 30. To do.

The controller 30 receives the output of the operation sensor 29, outputs a control command to the regulator 13 as needed, and changes the discharge amount of the main pump 14.

Here, the negative control control using the diaphragm 18 and the control pressure sensor 19 will be described. The diaphragm 18 includes a left diaphragm 18L and a right diaphragm 18R, and the control pressure sensor 19 includes a left control pressure sensor 19L and a right control pressure sensor 19R.

In the left center bypass line 40L, a left throttle 18L is arranged between the most downstream control valve 176L and the hydraulic oil tank. Therefore, the flow of hydraulic oil discharged by the left main pump 14L is limited by the left throttle 18L. Then, the left diaphragm 18L generates a control pressure for controlling the left regulator 13L. The left control pressure sensor 19L is a sensor for detecting this control pressure, and outputs the detected value to the controller 30. The controller 30 controls the discharge amount of the left main pump 14L by adjusting the swash plate tilt angle of the left main pump 14L according to this control pressure. The controller 30 decreases the discharge amount of the left main pump 14L as the control pressure is larger, and increases the discharge amount of the left main pump 14L as the control pressure is smaller. The discharge amount of the right main pump 14R is also controlled in the same manner.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, in the standby state in which none of the hydraulic actuators in the excavator 100 is operated, the hydraulic oil discharged by the left main pump 14L passes through the left center bypass pipe 40L and is left. Aperture reaches 18L. Then, the flow of hydraulic oil discharged by the left main pump 14L increases the control pressure generated upstream of the left throttle 18L. As a result, the controller 30 reduces the discharge amount of the left main pump 14L to the allowable minimum discharge amount, and suppresses the pressure loss (pumping loss) when the discharged hydraulic oil passes through the left center bypass line 40L. On the other hand, when any of the hydraulic actuators is operated, the hydraulic oil discharged from the left main pump 14L flows into the operation target hydraulic actuator via the control valve corresponding to the operation target hydraulic actuator. Then, the flow of the hydraulic oil discharged by the left main pump 14L reduces or eliminates the amount reaching the left throttle 18L, and lowers the control pressure generated upstream of the left throttle 18L. As a result, the controller 30 increases the discharge amount of the left main pump 14L, circulates sufficient hydraulic oil to the operation target hydraulic actuator, and ensures the drive of the operation target hydraulic actuator. The controller 30 also controls the discharge amount of the right main pump 14R in the same manner.

With the above configuration, the flood control system of FIG. 4 can suppress wasteful energy consumption in the main pump 14 in the standby state. The wasteful energy consumption includes a pumping loss generated in the center bypass line 40 by the hydraulic oil discharged from the main pump 14. Further, in the hydraulic system of FIG. 4, when the hydraulic actuator is operated, the necessary and sufficient hydraulic oil can be reliably supplied from the main pump 14 to the hydraulic actuator to be operated.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 5A to 5D, a configuration for the controller 30 to operate the actuator by the machine control function will be described. The machine control function is a function of operating the actuator without manually operating the operating device 26 by the operator. 5A-5D are diagrams of the operating system. Specifically, FIG. 5A is a diagram of an operation system related to the operation of the arm cylinder 8, and FIG. 5B is a diagram of an operation system related to the operation of the boom cylinder 7. FIG. 5C is a diagram of an operation system related to the operation of the bucket cylinder 9, and FIG. 5D is a diagram of an operation system related to the operation of the swivel hydraulic motor 2A. An operation system for operating the traveling hydraulic motor 2M (not shown) has a similar configuration.

As shown in FIGS. 5A-5D, the operating system includes an operating sensor 29, a proportional valve 31, and an operating tool driving device 50. The operation sensor 29 includes operation sensors 29LA, 29LB, 29RA, and 29RB, the proportional valve 31 includes proportional valves 31AL to 31DL and 31AR to 31DR, and the operation tool drive device 50 includes lever drive devices 50LA, 50LB, 50RA. , And 50 RB.

With this configuration, the controller 30 can automatically operate the hydraulic actuator corresponding to the specific operating device 26 even when the specific operating device 26 is not manually operated. Further, the controller 30 can forcibly stop the operation of the hydraulic actuator corresponding to the specific operating device 26 even when the specific operating device 26 is manually operated.

For example, as shown in FIG. 5A, the left operating lever 26L is used to operate the arm 5. Specifically, the left operating lever 26L utilizes the hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to apply a pilot pressure corresponding to the operation in the front-rear direction to the pilot port of the control valve 176. More specifically, the operation sensor 29LA sets the rotation angle of the left operation lever 26L around the first rotation axis when the left operation lever 26L is operated in the arm closing direction (rear direction). Is detected as a lever operation angle in the arm closing direction, and the detected value is output to the controller 30. The controller 30 outputs a current command corresponding to the lever operating angle in the arm closing direction of the left operating lever 26L to the proportional valve 31AL. The proportional valve 31AL exerts a pilot pressure corresponding to the current command on the right side pilot port of the control valve 176L and the left side pilot port of the control valve 176R. Further, when the left operating lever 26L is operated in the arm opening direction (forward direction), the operation sensor 29LA sets the rotation angle of the left operating lever 26L around the first rotation axis to the arm opening direction of the left operating lever. It is detected as a lever operation angle to, and the detected value is output to the controller 30. The controller 30 outputs a current command corresponding to the lever operating angle in the arm opening direction of the left operating lever to the proportional valve 31AR. The proportional valve 31AR applies the pilot pressure corresponding to the current command to the left pilot port of the control valve 176L and the right pilot port of the control valve 176R.

A switch NS is provided on the left operating lever 26L. In the present embodiment, the switch NS is a push button switch provided at the tip of the left operating lever 26L. For example, the operator can operate the left operation lever 26L with the left hand while pressing the switch NS with the thumb of the left hand. The switch NS may be provided on the right operating lever 26R or may be provided at another position in the cabin 10.

The operation sensor 29LA detects the content of the operation of the left operation lever 26L in the front-rear direction by the operator in the form of the rotation angle around the first rotation axis of the left operation lever 26L, and transmits the detected value to the controller 30. And output.

The proportional valve 31AL operates in response to a current command output by the controller 30. Then, the pilot pressure due to the hydraulic oil introduced from the pilot pump 15 to the right side pilot port of the control valve 176L and the left side pilot port of the control valve 176R via the proportional valve 31AL is adjusted. The proportional valve 31AR operates in response to a current command output by the controller 30. Then, the pilot pressure due to the hydraulic oil introduced from the pilot pump 15 to the left side pilot port of the control valve 176L and the right side pilot port of the control valve 176R via the proportional valve 31AR is adjusted. The proportional valves 31AL and 31AR can adjust the pilot pressure so that the control valves 176L and 176R can be stopped at any valve position.

With this configuration, the controller 30 supplies the hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 via the proportional valve 31AL to the right side pilot port of the control valve 176L and the left side pilot port of the control valve 176R regardless of the arm closing operation by the operator. Can be supplied to. That is, the arm 5 can be closed. Further, the controller 30 supplies the hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to the left pilot port of the control valve 176L and the right pilot port of the control valve 176R via the proportional valve 31AR regardless of the arm opening operation by the operator. it can. That is, the arm 5 can be opened.

The lever drive device 50LA operates in response to a control command output from the controller 30. For example, the lever drive device 50LA causes the right operating lever 26R to move in the arm closing direction in response to a control command from the controller 30 when the arm 5 is automatically closed when the arm closing operation is not performed by the operator. Automatically tilt to. Alternatively, the lever drive device 50LA responds to a control command from the controller 30 when the arm 5 is automatically opened when the arm opening operation is not performed by the operator, and the right operating lever 26R is moved in the arm opening direction. Automatically tilt to.

With this configuration, the controller 30 can present to the operator the lever operating angle of the right operating lever 26R required to realize the current movement of the arm 5 by manual operation. Therefore, the operator can shift the automatic operation of the arm 5 to the manual operation without destabilizing the movement of the arm 5.

The controller 30 controls the proportional valve 31AR as necessary even when the arm closing operation is performed by the operator, and is a control valve located on the opposite side of the pilot port on the closing side of the control valve 176. By increasing the pilot pressure acting on the open side pilot port of 176 (the right side pilot port of the control valve 176L and the left side pilot port of the control valve 176R) and forcibly returning the control valve 176 to the neutral valve position, the arm 5 You may forcibly stop the closing operation of.

With this configuration, the controller 30 can use the pilot port on the closing side of the control valve 176 (the left side pilot port of the control valve 176L and the control valve, if necessary, even when the arm closing operation is performed by the operator. The pilot pressure acting on the right pilot port of the 176R) can be reduced to forcibly stop the closing operation of the arm 5. The same applies to the case where the opening operation of the arm 5 is forcibly stopped while the arm opening operation is being performed by the operator.

Further, although the description with reference to FIGS. 5B to 5D below will be omitted, when the operation of the boom 4 is forcibly stopped when the boom raising operation or the boom lowering operation is performed by the operator, the operation is performed. When the operation of the bucket 6 is forcibly stopped when the bucket closing operation or the bucket opening operation is performed by the operator, and when the turning operation is performed by the operator, the turning operation of the upper swivel body 3 is performed. The same applies to the case of forcibly stopping. The same applies to the case where the traveling operation of the lower traveling body 1 is forcibly stopped when the traveling operation is performed by the operator.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5B, the right operating lever 26R is used to operate the boom 4. Specifically, the right operating lever 26R utilizes the hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to apply a pilot pressure corresponding to the operation in the front-rear direction to the pilot port of the control valve 175. More specifically, the operation sensor 29RA sets the rotation angle of the right operation lever 26R around the first rotation axis when the right operation lever 26R is operated in the boom raising direction (rear direction). Is detected as a lever operation angle in the boom raising direction, and the detected value is output to the controller 30. The controller 30 outputs a current command corresponding to the lever operating angle in the boom raising direction of the right operating lever 26R to the proportional valve 31BL. The proportional valve 31BL applies the pilot pressure corresponding to the current command to the right side pilot port of the control valve 175L and the left side pilot port of the control valve 175R. Further, when the right operating lever 26R is operated in the boom lowering direction (forward direction), the operation sensor 29RA sets the rotation angle of the right operating lever 26R around the first rotation axis to lower the boom of the right operating lever 26R. It is detected as a lever operation angle in the direction, and the detected value is output to the controller 30. The controller 30 outputs a current command corresponding to the lever operating angle in the boom lowering direction of the right operating lever 26R to the proportional valve 31BR. The proportional valve 31BR applies the pilot pressure corresponding to the current command to the right pilot port of the control valve 175R.

The operation sensor 29RA detects the content of the operator's operation of the right operating lever 26R in the front-rear direction in the form of the rotation angle around the first rotation axis of the right operating lever 26R, and transmits the detected value to the controller 30. And output.

The proportional valve 31BL operates in response to a current command output by the controller 30. Then, the pilot pressure due to the hydraulic oil introduced from the pilot pump 15 to the right side pilot port of the control valve 175L and the left side pilot port of the control valve 175R via the proportional valve 31BL is adjusted. The proportional valve 31BR operates in response to a current command output by the controller 30. Then, the pilot pressure due to the hydraulic oil introduced from the pilot pump 15 to the left side pilot port of the control valve 175L and the right side pilot port of the control valve 175R via the proportional valve 31BR is adjusted. The proportional valves 31BL and 31BR can adjust the pilot pressure so that the control valves 175L and 175R can be stopped at any valve position.

With this configuration, the controller 30 delivers the hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 via the proportional valve 31BL to the right pilot port of the control valve 175L and the left pilot port of the control valve 175R regardless of the boom raising operation by the operator. Can be supplied to. That is, the boom 4 can be raised. Further, the controller 30 can supply the hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to the right pilot port of the control valve 175R via the proportional valve 31BR regardless of the boom lowering operation by the operator. That is, the boom 4 can be lowered.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5C, the right operating lever 26R is also used to operate the bucket 6. Specifically, the right operating lever 26R utilizes the hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to apply a pilot pressure corresponding to the operation in the left-right direction to the pilot port of the control valve 174. More specifically, the operation sensor 29RB determines the rotation angle of the right operation lever 26R around the second rotation axis when the right operation lever 26R is operated in the bucket closing direction (left direction). Is detected as a lever operation angle in the bucket closing direction, and the detected value is output to the controller 30. The controller 30 outputs a current command corresponding to the lever operating angle in the bucket closing direction of the right operating lever 26R to the proportional valve 31CL. The proportional valve 31CL applies a pilot pressure corresponding to the current command to the left pilot port of the control valve 174. Further, when the right operating lever 26R is operated in the bucket opening direction (right direction), the operation sensor 29RB sets the rotation angle of the right operating lever 26R around the second rotation axis to the bucket opening of the right operating lever 26R. It is detected as a lever operation angle in the direction, and the detected value is output to the controller 30. The controller 30 outputs a current command corresponding to the lever operating angle in the bucket opening direction of the right operating lever 26R to the proportional valve 31CR. The proportional valve 31CR applies a pilot pressure corresponding to the current command to the right pilot port of the control valve 174.

The operation sensor 29RB detects the content of the operator's operation in the left-right direction with respect to the right operation lever 26R in the form of the rotation angle around the second rotation axis of the right operation lever 26R, and transmits the detected value to the controller 30. And output.

The proportional valve 31CL operates in response to a current command output by the controller 30. Then, the pilot pressure due to the hydraulic oil introduced from the pilot pump 15 to the left pilot port of the control valve 174 via the proportional valve 31CL is adjusted. The proportional valve 31CR operates in response to a current command output by the controller 30. Then, the pilot pressure due to the hydraulic oil introduced from the pilot pump 15 to the right pilot port of the control valve 174 via the proportional valve 31CR is adjusted. The proportional valves 31CL and 31CR can adjust the pilot pressure so that the control valve 174 can be stopped at an arbitrary valve position.

With this configuration, the controller 30 can supply the hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to the left pilot port of the control valve 174 via the proportional valve 31CL regardless of the bucket closing operation by the operator. That is, the bucket 6 can be closed. Further, the controller 30 can supply the hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to the right pilot port of the control valve 174 via the proportional valve 31CR regardless of the bucket opening operation by the operator. That is, the bucket 6 can be opened.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5D, the left operating lever 26L is also used to operate the swivel mechanism 2. Specifically, the left operating lever 26L utilizes the hydraulic oil discharged from the pilot pump 15 to apply a pilot pressure corresponding to the operation in the left-right direction to the pilot port of the control valve 173. More specifically, the operation sensor 29LB determines the rotation angle of the left operation lever 26L around the second rotation axis when the left operation lever 26L is operated in the left turning direction (left direction). Is detected as a lever operation angle in the left turning direction, and the detected value is output to the controller 30. The controller 30 outputs a current command corresponding to the lever operating angle in the left turning direction of the left operating lever 26L to the proportional valve 31DL. The proportional valve 31DL applies a pilot pressure corresponding to the current command to the left pilot port of the control valve 173. Further, when the left operating lever 26L is operated in the right turning direction (right direction), the operation sensor 29LB sets the rotation angle of the left operating lever 26L around the second rotation axis to the right of the left operating lever 26L. It is detected as a lever operation angle in the turning direction, and the detected value is output to the controller 30. The controller 30 outputs a current command corresponding to the lever operating angle in the right turning direction of the left operating lever 26L to the proportional valve 31DR. The proportional valve 31DR applies a pilot pressure corresponding to the current command to the right pilot port of the control valve 173.

The operation sensor 29LB detects the content of the left-right operation of the left operation lever 26L by the operator in the form of the rotation angle around the second rotation axis of the left operation lever 26L, and transmits the detected value to the controller 30. And output.

The proportional valve 31DL operates in response to a current command output by the controller 30. Then, the pilot pressure due to the hydraulic oil introduced from the pilot pump 15 to the left pilot port of the control valve 173 via the proportional valve 31DL is adjusted. The proportional valve 31DR operates in response to a current command output by the controller 30. Then, the pilot pressure due to the hydraulic oil introduced from the pilot pump 15 to the right pilot port of the control valve 173 via the proportional valve 31DR is adjusted. The proportional valves 31DL and 31DR can adjust the pilot pressure so that the control valve 173 can be stopped at an arbitrary valve position.

With this configuration, the controller 30 can supply the hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to the left pilot port of the control valve 173 via the proportional valve 31DL regardless of the left turning operation by the operator. That is, the turning mechanism 2 can be turned to the left. Further, the controller 30 can supply the hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to the right pilot port of the control valve 173 via the proportional valve 31DR regardless of the right turning operation by the operator. That is, the turning mechanism 2 can be turned to the right.

The excavator 100 may have a configuration in which the lower traveling body 1 is automatically moved forward and backward. In this case, the operation system for operating the left traveling hydraulic motor 2ML and the operating system for operating the right traveling hydraulic motor 2MR may be configured in the same manner as the operating system for operating the boom cylinder 7.

Next, the function of the controller 30 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram of the controller 30. In the example of FIG. 6, the controller 30 receives a signal output by at least one of the attitude detection device, the operation device 26, the object detection device 70, the orientation detection device 85, the information input device 72, the positioning device 73, the switch NS, and the like. , Various calculations are executed, and a control command can be output to at least one of the proportional valve 31, the display device DS, the sound output device AD, and the like. The attitude detection device includes a boom angle sensor S1, an arm angle sensor S2, a bucket angle sensor S3, a body tilt sensor S4, and a turning angular velocity sensor S5. The controller 30 includes a position calculation unit 30A, a trajectory acquisition unit 30B, an autonomous control unit 30C, a control mode switching unit 30D, and an operation tool drive unit 30E as functional elements. Each functional element may be composed of hardware or software.

The information input device 72 is configured so that the operator of the excavator can input information to the controller 30. In the present embodiment, the information input device 72 is a switch panel DS2 installed close to the image display unit DS1 of the display device DS. However, the information input device 72 may be a sound input device such as a microphone arranged in the cabin 10.

The positioning device 73 is configured to measure the position of the upper swing body 3. In the present embodiment, the positioning device 73 is a GNSS receiver, detects the position of the upper swing body 3, and outputs the detected value to the controller 30. The positioning device 73 may be a GNSS compass. In this case, the positioning device 73 can detect the position and orientation of the upper swing body 3.

The position calculation unit 30A is configured to calculate the position of the positioning target. In the present embodiment, the position calculation unit 30A calculates the coordinate points in the reference coordinate system of the predetermined portion of the attachment. The predetermined portion is, for example, the toe of the bucket 6, the back surface of the bucket 6, or the like. The origin of the reference coordinate system is, for example, the intersection of the swivel axis and the ground plane of the excavator 100. The position calculation unit 30A calculates, for example, the coordinate points of the toes of the bucket 6 from the rotation angles of the boom 4, the arm 5, and the bucket 6. The position calculation unit 30A may calculate not only the coordinate point at the center of the toe of the bucket 6, but also the coordinate point at the left end of the toe of the bucket 6, the coordinate point at the right end of the toe of the bucket 6, and the like. In this case, the position calculation unit 30A may use the output of the body tilt sensor S4. Further, the position calculation unit 30A may calculate a coordinate point at the center of the back surface of the bucket 6 and a coordinate point at the rear end of the back surface of the bucket 6.

The trajectory acquisition unit 30B is configured to acquire a target trajectory, which is a trajectory followed by a predetermined portion of the attachment when the excavator 100 is automatically operated. In the present embodiment, the trajectory acquisition unit 30B acquires a target trajectory used when the autonomous control unit 30C automatically operates the excavator 100. Specifically, the track acquisition unit 30B derives a target track based on the data regarding the target construction surface stored in the non-volatile storage device.

The trajectory acquisition unit 30B may derive a target trajectory based on the information on the terrain around the excavator 100 recognized by the object detection device 70. Alternatively, the trajectory acquisition unit 30B may derive information on the past trajectory of the toe of the bucket 6 from the past output of the posture detection device stored in the volatile storage device, and derive a target trajectory based on the information. .. Alternatively, the track acquisition unit 30B may derive a target track based on the current position of a predetermined portion of the attachment and data on the target construction surface.

The autonomous control unit 30C is configured to automatically operate the excavator 100. In the present embodiment, the autonomous control unit 30C is configured to move a predetermined portion of the attachment along the target trajectory acquired by the trajectory acquisition unit 30B when a predetermined start condition is satisfied. Specifically, the autonomous control unit 30C automatically operates the excavator 100 so that the predetermined portion moves along the target trajectory when the operation device 26 is operated while the switch NS is pressed. Let me.

In the present embodiment, the autonomous control unit 30C is configured to support the manual operation of the excavator by the operator by automatically operating the actuator. For example, the autonomous control unit 30C has a boom cylinder 7 and an arm cylinder 8 so that the target trajectory and the position of the toe of the bucket 6 match when the operator manually closes the arm while pressing the switch NS. , And at least one of the bucket cylinders 9 may be automatically expanded and contracted. In this case, the operator can close the arm 5 while aligning the toes of the bucket 6 with the target trajectory by simply operating the left operating lever 26L in the arm closing direction, for example. In this example, the arm cylinder 8 which is the main operation target is referred to as a "main actuator". Further, the boom cylinder 7 and the bucket cylinder 9, which are passive operation targets that move according to the movement of the main actuator, are referred to as "subordinate actuators".

In the present embodiment, the autonomous control unit 30C can automatically operate each actuator by giving a current command to the proportional valve 31 and individually adjusting the pilot pressure acting on the control valve corresponding to each actuator. .. For example, at least one of the boom cylinder 7 and the bucket cylinder 9 can be operated regardless of whether the right operating lever 26R is operated.

The control mode switching unit 30D is configured so that the control mode can be switched. The control mode is a control method of the actuator that can be used by the controller 30 when the autonomous control unit 30C automatically operates the excavator 100, and includes, for example, a normal control mode and a low speed control mode. The normal control mode is, for example, a control mode in which the moving speed of a predetermined portion with respect to the operation amount of the operation device 26 is set to be relatively large, and the low speed control mode is, for example, a predetermined portion with respect to the operation amount of the operation device 26. This is a control mode set so that the moving speed of is relatively small. The control mode may include an arm priority mode and a boom priority mode.

All of the control modes are used when the operation device 26 is operated while the switch NS is pressed. For example, the arm priority mode is a control mode in which the arm cylinder 8 is selected as the main actuator and the boom cylinder 7 and the bucket cylinder 9 are selected as the dependent actuators. In the arm priority mode, for example, when the left operating lever 26L is operated in the arm closing direction, the controller 30 actively extends the arm cylinder 8 at a speed corresponding to the operating amount of the left operating lever 26L. The controller 30 then passively expands and contracts at least one of the boom cylinder 7 and the bucket cylinder 9 so that the toes of the bucket 6 move along the target trajectory. The boom priority mode is a control mode in which the boom cylinder 7 is selected as the main actuator and the arm cylinder 8 and the bucket cylinder 9 are selected as the dependent actuators. In the boom priority mode, for example, when the left operating lever 26L is operated in the arm closing direction, the controller 30 actively expands and contracts the boom cylinder 7 at a speed corresponding to the operating amount of the left operating lever 26L. Then, the controller 30 passively extends the arm cylinder 8 so that the toes of the bucket 6 move along the target trajectory, and passively expands and contracts the bucket cylinder 9 as needed. The control mode may include a bucket priority mode. The bucket priority mode is a control mode in which the bucket cylinder 9 is selected as the main actuator and the boom cylinder 7 and the arm cylinder 8 are selected as the dependent actuators. In the bucket priority mode, for example, when the left operating lever 26L is operated in the arm closing direction, the controller 30 actively expands and contracts the bucket cylinder 9 at a speed corresponding to the operating amount of the left operating lever 26L. Then, the controller 30 passively extends the arm cylinder 8 so that the toes of the bucket 6 move along the target trajectory, and passively expands and contracts the boom cylinder 7 as needed.

The control mode switching unit 30D may be configured to automatically switch the control mode when a predetermined condition is satisfied. The predetermined conditions may be set based on, for example, the shape of the target trajectory, the presence / absence of a buried object, the presence / absence of an object around the excavator 100, and the like.

The controller 30, for example, first adopts the first control mode when autonomous control is started. The first control mode is, for example, a normal control mode. Then, when it is determined that the predetermined condition is satisfied during the execution of the autonomous control adopting the first control mode, the control mode switching unit 30D switches the control mode from the first control mode to the second control mode. The second control mode is, for example, a low speed control mode. In this case, the controller 30 ends the autonomous control adopting the first control mode and starts the autonomous control adopting the second control mode. In this example, the controller 30 selects one of the two control modes to execute autonomous control, but selects one of three or more control modes to execute autonomous control. You may.

The operation tool drive unit 30E is configured to drive an operation device 26 related to an actuator automatically moved by the autonomous control unit 30C. For example, the operating tool driving unit 30E operates the right operating lever 26R, which is an operating device 26 for the boom cylinder 7 automatically extended by the autonomous control unit 30C, as if the operator manually operates the lever 26R. Tilt the right operating lever 26R in the boom raising direction so that the lever operating angle is commensurate with the rising of the boom 4. In the present embodiment, the operating tool driving unit 30E outputs a control command to the operating tool driving device 50 and operates the operating tool driving device 50 to operate the actuator automatically moved by the autonomous control unit 30C. Drive the device 26.

Utilizing the above-mentioned hydraulic system, the controller 30 may be configured to automatically brake the drive unit of the excavator 100, if necessary. The automatic braking of the drive unit includes, for example, forcibly decelerating or stopping the movement of the drive unit even when the operating device 26 related to the drive unit is being operated. You may be.

The controller 30 may be configured so that, for example, when the object detection device 70 detects an object, braking of the drive unit can be automatically executed. In this case, the drive unit may include, for example, at least one of the turning hydraulic motor 2A and the traveling hydraulic motor 2M. Braking of the drive unit is realized, for example, by reducing the pilot pressure acting on the pilot port of the control valve corresponding to the operating device 26 while the operating device 26 is being operated. This is because the control valve corresponding to the operating device 26 in the operated state returns to the neutral valve position. The braking of the drive unit may include at least one of reducing the operating speed of the drive unit and stopping the movement of the drive unit.

The controller 30 may be configured so that the braking of the driving unit can be released when a predetermined condition is satisfied when the braking of the driving unit is being executed.

"When braking the drive unit" is, for example, when the operating speed of the drive unit is reduced, when the movement of the drive unit is stopped, and when the stop of the drive unit is maintained. May include.

“When a predetermined condition is satisfied” may be, for example, when it is determined that the operator has an intention to continue the operation. In the case where the traveling hydraulic motor 2M is braked while the traveling lever 26D is being operated in the reverse direction, the controller 30 is operated by the operator when the traveling lever 26D is re-operated in the reverse direction. You may determine that you have the intention of. In this case, the "re-operation" may be to return the traveling lever 26D to the neutral state and then operate it in the reverse direction again, and advance the traveling lever 26D beyond the position where the traveling lever 26D is in the neutral state. It may be operated in the reverse direction again after being operated in the direction, or it may be operated in the reverse direction again after the traveling lever 26D is operated so as to be in the neutral state.

In this case, the controller 30 may determine whether or not the operation device 26 has been re-operated based on the output of the operation sensor 29. Alternatively, the controller 30 may determine whether or not the operation device 26 has been re-operated based on the output of a device other than the operation sensor 29 such as the indoor image pickup device that images the operator in the cabin 10. Good.

Alternatively, the controller 30 may determine that the operator has an intention to continue the operation when the operation device 26 related to the drive unit subject to braking is operated by a predetermined operation method. For example, in the case where the turning hydraulic motor 2A is braked when the left operating lever 26L is operated in the right turning direction, the controller 30 is operated when the left operating lever 26L is operated two times to the left and right. It may be determined that the person has an intention to continue the operation. Specifically, when the left operating lever 26L is operated in the order of left turning direction, right turning direction, left turning direction, and right turning direction, it is assumed that the left operation lever 26L is operated by a predetermined operation method. , It may be determined that the operator has an intention to continue the operation.

Alternatively, the controller 30 is operated by the operator when the operating device 26 is re-operated while the lever button LB provided on the operating device 26 related to the drive unit subject to braking is pressed. You may determine that you have the intention. For example, in the case where the boom cylinder 7 is braked while the right operating lever 26R is being operated in the boom lowering direction, the controller 30 is operated right while the lever button LB provided on the right operating lever 26R is pressed. When the lever 26R is re-operated in the boom lowering direction, it may be determined that the operator has an intention to continue the operation.

In the above-described embodiment, the electric operation device including the electric pilot circuit is disclosed, but the electric pilot circuit is provided instead of the electric operation device provided with such an electric pilot circuit. A hydraulic operating device may be adopted.

Next, the details of the operation tool driving device 50 will be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 shows a configuration example of the right operating lever 26R. Specifically, FIG. 7A is a side view of the right operating lever 26R in a neutral state. FIG. 7B is a top view of the right operating lever 26R in the neutral state. FIG. 7C is a side view of the right operating lever 26R tilted in the boom raising direction. 7 (A) to 7 (C) show a state in which the operation sensor 29 and the operation tool drive device 50 are exposed, but in reality, the operation sensor 29 and the operation tool drive device 50 are levers. Covered with boots.

As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the right operating lever 26R includes an operating sensor 29, an operating tool drive device 50, a support portion BL, a base BS, a lever portion LV, a pin portion PN, and a push rod. Includes part PR. In the examples shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the operation sensor 29 includes the operation sensor 29RA and the operation sensor 29RB, and the operation tool drive device 50 includes the lever drive device 50RA and the lever drive device 50RB. Further, the support portion BL is a member that protrudes in the + Z direction from the base portion BS that is maintained in a stationary state even when the lever portion LV moves, and includes the first support portion BL1 to the fourth support portion BL4. The push rod portion PR is a member that guides the movement of the lever portion LV, and includes a first push rod portion PR1 and a second push rod portion PR2. The pin portion PN is a member that is fixed to the push rod portion PR and rotates together with the push rod portion PR, and includes the first pin portion PN1 to the fourth pin portion PN4.

As shown in FIG. 7A, the first push rod portion PR1 is attached to the support portion BL so that it can rotate around the first rotation axis RS1 parallel to the Y axis. Specifically, the + X-side end of the first push rod portion PR1 is fixed to the first pin portion PN1 so as not to rotate relative to each other. The + X side end of the first push rod portion PR1 is rotatably attached to the first support portion BL1 via the first pin portion PN1. Similarly, the end portion of the first push rod portion PR1 on the −X side is fixed to the second pin portion PN2 so as to be relatively non-rotatable. The end of the first push rod portion PR1 on the −X side is rotatably attached to the second support portion BL2 via the second pin portion PN2.

The torque motor as the lever drive device 50RA is configured so that the first pin portion PN1 can be rotated around the first rotation shaft RS1.

The rotation angle sensor as the operation sensor 29RA is configured to be able to detect the rotation angle of the second pin portion PN2 that rotates around the first rotation axis RS1. The second pin portion PN2 is configured to rotate by the same rotation angle as the rotation angle of the first pin portion PN1.

In the example of FIG. 7, the first push rod portion PR1 is configured to have a substantially semicircular shape in the side view and a substantially rectangular shape in the top view. The first push rod portion PR1 is configured such that the lever portion LV penetrates the substantially rectangular opening AP1 in the top view formed in the central portion. The opening AP1 is configured to have a width substantially the same as the diameter of the lever portion LV. Therefore, the first push rod portion PR1 can limit the rotation of the lever portion LV around the first rotation shaft RS1 while allowing the lever portion LV to rotate around the second rotation shaft RS2.

With this configuration, when the first push rod portion PR1 is rotated around the first rotation shaft RS1 by the lever drive device 50RA, the lever portion LV is rotated around the first rotation shaft RS1 together with the first push rod portion PR1. Can be made to. Specifically, the lever portion LV is tilted against the force of a spring (not shown) that is compressed as the lever portion LV is tilted, and the torque and the restoring force of the spring due to the driving force of the lever driving device 50RA are obtained. Stops when the reverse torque is balanced. Further, the lever portion LV is configured to return to the neutral state (state shown in FIG. 7A) by the restoring force of the spring when the torque due to the driving force of the lever driving device 50RA disappears.

As shown in FIG. 7B, the second push rod portion PR2 is attached to the support portion BL so that it can rotate around the second rotation axis RS2 parallel to the X axis. Specifically, the + Y side end of the second push rod portion PR2 is fixed to the third pin portion PN3 so as not to rotate relative to each other. The + Y side end of the second push rod portion PR2 is rotatably attached to the third support portion BL3 via the third pin portion PN3. Similarly, the −Y side end of the second push rod portion PR2 is fixed to the fourth pin portion PN4 so as not to rotate relative to each other. The −Y side end of the second push rod portion PR2 is rotatably attached to the fourth support portion BL4 via the fourth pin portion PN4.

The torque motor as the lever drive device 50RB is configured to be able to rotate the third pin portion PN3 around the second rotation shaft RS2.

The rotation angle sensor as the operation sensor 29RB is configured to be able to detect the rotation angle of the fourth pin portion PN4 that rotates around the second rotation axis RS2. The fourth pin portion PN4 is configured to rotate by the same rotation angle as the rotation angle of the third pin portion PN3.

In the example of FIG. 7, the second push rod portion PR2 is configured to have a substantially semicircular shape in the side view and a substantially rectangular shape in the top view, similarly to the first push rod portion PR1. The second push rod portion PR2 is configured such that the lever portion LV penetrates the substantially rectangular opening AP2 in the top view formed in the central portion. The opening AP2 is configured to have a width substantially the same as the diameter of the lever portion LV. Therefore, the second push rod portion PR2 can limit the rotation of the lever portion LV around the second rotation shaft RS2 while allowing the lever portion LV to rotate around the first rotation shaft RS1.

With this configuration, when the second push rod portion PR2 is rotated around the second rotation shaft RS2 by the lever drive device 50RB, the lever portion LV is rotated around the second rotation shaft RS2 together with the second push rod portion PR2. Can be made to. Specifically, the lever portion LV is tilted against the force of a spring (not shown) that is compressed as the lever portion LV is tilted, and depends on the torque output by the lever drive device 50RB and the restoring force of the spring. It stops when the reverse torque is balanced. Further, the lever portion LV is configured to return to the neutral state (the state shown in FIG. 7B) by the restoring force of the spring when the torque due to the driving force of the lever driving device 50RB disappears.

For example, when the boom 4 is controlled to be automatically raised by the autonomous control unit 30C, the operation tool drive unit 30E outputs a control command to the lever drive device 50RB, and the arrow in FIG. 7 (C). As shown by AR1, the third pin portion PN3 is rotated. As a result, the operating tool drive unit 30E can tilt the lever unit LV in the boom raising direction as shown by the arrow AR2 by rotating the second push rod unit PR2 fixed to the third pin unit PN3. it can. The control command is based on the magnitude of the pilot pressure acting on each of the right pilot port of the control valve 175L (see FIG. 5B) and the left pilot port of the control valve 175R when this autonomous control is being performed. It is uniquely determined. In the present embodiment, the operating tool drive unit 30E refers to a lookup table that stores the correspondence between the pilot pressure and the lever operation angle (rotation angle of the fourth pin portion PN4 around the second rotation axis RS2). , Derive the target lever operating angle as the lever operating angle corresponding to the current pilot pressure. The look-up table may store the correspondence between the value of the current command for each of the proportional valve 31BL and the proportional valve 31BR and the lever operation angle. In this case, the operating tool drive unit 30E refers to a look-up table that stores the correspondence between the current command value and the lever operating angle, and refers to the target lever as the lever operating angle corresponding to the current current command value. The operating angle may be derived. Then, the operating tool driving unit 30E generates a control command for tilting the right operating lever 26R so that the difference between the current lever operating angle and the target lever operating angle becomes zero, and the generated control command is used as the lever driving device. Output for 50 RB. As a result, the operating tool driving unit 30E can tilt the right operating lever 26R in the boom raising direction as shown in FIG. 7C. The lever portion LV represented by the broken line in FIG. 7C indicates the lever portion LV before being tilted in the boom raising direction.

With this configuration, when the actuator is automatically moved by the autonomous control unit 30C, the controller 30 moves the operating device 26 in the same manner as when the actuator is moved by a manual operation by the operator. Can be done. Therefore, the operator can easily recognize how much the operating device 26 needs to be moved if the current movement of the actuator is based on the manual operation. Further, the operator can smoothly take over the movement of the actuator by the autonomous control that is currently being performed by the movement of the actuator by the manual operation without destabilizing the movement of the actuator. This is because, for example, the operator only needs to manually operate the right operating lever 26R which is tilted to an appropriate lever operating angle by the operating tool driving unit 30E.

Next, with reference to FIG. 8, the movement of the driven body at the time of switching from the autonomous control to the manual control will be described. In the example of FIG. 8, the manual control means the control of the boom 4 and the bucket 6 as the driven body in response to the manual operation of the right operating lever 26R by the operator. Specifically, the manual operation is a combined operation of a boom raising operation and a bucket closing operation. FIG. 8 is a left side view of the excavation attachment when the leveling work is being performed. FIG. 8A is a left side view of the excavation attachment when the operator manually operates the left operating lever 26L and the right operating lever 26R to bring the toe of the bucket 6 into contact with the ground as the work object. Yes, it shows the state before the autonomous control by the autonomous control unit 30C is started. FIG. 8B is a left side view of the excavation attachment when the operator manually tilts the left operating lever 26L in the arm closing direction while pressing the switch NS, and autonomous control by the autonomous control unit 30C is executed. Indicates the state when it is. FIG. 8C shows a case where the operator manually tilts the left operating lever 26L in the arm closing direction while pressing the switch NS, and then manually tilts the right operating lever 26R in the boom raising direction and the bucket closing direction. It is a left side view of the excavation attachment, and shows the state when the manual control is prioritized over the autonomous control by the autonomous control unit 30C. The excavation attachment represented by the dotted line in each of FIGS. 8 (B) and 8 (C) shows the state of the excavation attachment shown in FIG. 8 (A).

In the example shown in FIG. 8, the autonomous control unit 30C automatically operates the boom cylinder 7 and the bucket cylinder 9 as subordinate actuators with respect to the arm cylinder 8 as the main actuator, so that the operator can perform leveling work. It is configured to assist the operation. Specifically, the autonomous control unit 30C has a boom cylinder so that the target flat surface TSa and the position of the toe of the bucket 6 match when the operator manually closes the arm while pressing the switch NS. 7. At least one of the arm cylinder 8, and the bucket cylinder 9 is automatically expanded and contracted. In this case, the operator can close the arm 5 while aligning the toes of the bucket 6 with the target flat surface TSa by simply tilting the left operating lever 26L in the arm closing direction, for example. The target flat surface TSa is typically a virtual plane set in advance based on design data or the like.

More specifically, the autonomous control unit 30C automatically opens the bucket 6 as shown by the arrow AR12 when the arm 5 is manually closed as shown by the arrow AR11 in FIG. 8B. Further, by automatically raising the boom 4 as shown by the arrow AR13, that is, by automatically contracting the bucket cylinder 9 and automatically extending the boom cylinder 7, the toe of the bucket 6 is raised. It can be moved along the target flat surface TSa.

When the autonomous control unit 30C is performing autonomous control, the operator executes a manual operation of the operating device 26 related to the dependent actuator, so that the movement of the dependent actuator by the manual operation can be measured by the autonomous control of the dependent actuator. It may be prioritized over movement. For example, when the autonomous control as shown in FIG. 8B is being performed, the operator tilts the right operating lever 26R in the boom raising direction, so that the boom 4 rises faster than the boom 4 rises due to the autonomous control. Can be raised.

However, if the right operating lever 26R remains in the neutral state when the boom 4 is automatically raised by autonomous control, the operator should operate the right operating lever 26R in the boom raising direction. It is unknown whether the boom 4 can be raised faster than the boom 4 is actually raised by the autonomous control. That is, the operator cannot specify the desired lever operating angle, which is the lever operating angle of the right operating lever 26R for raising the boom 4 at a desired speed. Therefore, the operator determines the lever operating angle based on speculation, and tilts the right operating lever 26R to the lever operating angle. In this case, if the manual control is prioritized over the autonomous control as soon as the manual operation of the right operating lever 26R is started, the operator sets the lever operating angle of the right operating lever 26R smaller than the desired lever operating angle. If this happens, the ascending speed of the boom 4 will be unexpectedly reduced. Alternatively, when the operator makes the lever operating angle of the right operating lever 26R larger than the desired lever operating angle, the operator unexpectedly suddenly increases the ascending speed of the boom 4.

The operating tool drive unit 30E according to the embodiment of the present invention tilts the right operating lever 26R to a lever operating angle commensurate with the current ascending speed of the boom 4 when the boom 4 is automatically raised by autonomous control. Can be done. Therefore, the operating tool drive unit 30E can prevent the ascending speed of the boom 4 from suddenly decreasing or rapidly increasing when switching from the autonomous control to the manual control. The operator smoothly increases the ascending speed of the boom 4 realized by autonomous control by tilting the right operating lever 26R, which is automatically tilted by the operating tool drive unit 30E, in the boom raising direction. This is because it can be done.

Next, with reference to FIG. 9, the temporal transition of the arm closing pilot pressure and the boom raising pilot pressure at the time of switching from the autonomous control to the manual control will be described. FIG. 9 shows the temporal transition of the arm closing pilot pressure and the boom raising pilot pressure when switching from the autonomous control to the manual control when the autonomous control for the leveling work as shown in FIG. 8 is being executed. Is shown. FIG. 9A shows the temporal transition of the arm closing pilot pressure, and FIG. 9B shows the temporal transition of the boom raising pilot pressure. In the example shown in FIG. 9, autonomous control as shown in FIG. 8B is executed from time t1 to time t2, and manual control as shown in FIG. 8C is executed after time t2. There is. The alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 9 shows the transition when the machine control function is stopped when switching from autonomous control to manual control.

At time t1, when the left operating lever 26L is operated in the arm closing direction, the arm closing pilot pressure, which is the pilot pressure acting on the right pilot port of the control valve 176L (see FIG. 5A) and the left pilot port of the control valve 176R. Increases as shown in FIG. 9 (A).

The autonomous control unit 30C automatically raises the boom 4 as shown in FIG. 8B when the arm 5 is manually closed so that the toes of the bucket 6 move along the target flat surface TSa. ..

Therefore, the boom raising pilot pressure, which is the pilot pressure acting on the right pilot port of the control valve 175L (see FIG. 5B) and the left pilot port of the control valve 175R, increases as shown in FIG. 9B. That is, the boom raising pilot pressure from the time t1 to the time t2 is not caused by the manual operation of the right operating lever 26R, but is automatically generated by the autonomous control.

After that, the arm closing pilot pressure and the boom raising pilot pressure change at substantially constant values until time t2. Therefore, the arm 5 is closed at a substantially constant speed, and the boom 4 is automatically raised at a substantially constant speed.

After that, at time t2, when stopping the machine control function in order to prevent the movement of the excavation attachment from becoming unstable when switching from autonomous control to manual control, the operator presses the switch NS. And return the left operation lever 26L to the neutral state. As a result, the movement of the drilling attachment is completely stopped. This is because the control valve 176 returns to the neutral valve position when the left operating lever 26L is returned to the neutral state. Further, the control valve 174 and the control valve 176 return to the neutral valve position when the autonomous control is stopped.

In this case, the arm closing pilot pressure and the boom raising pilot pressure decrease as shown by the alternate long and short dash line, and reach a predetermined lower limit pressure at time t3. The predetermined lower limit pressure is the pressure at which the control valve is in the neutral position, for example, atmospheric pressure.

After that, at time t4, the operator manually tilts the left operating lever 26L in the arm closing direction and manually tilts the right operating lever 26R in the boom raising direction to start the desired movement of the excavation attachment. Can be made to.

As a result, at time t5, the arm closing pilot pressure increases to the level before stopping the drilling attachment, and the boom raising pilot pressure increases to the desired level higher than the level before stopping the drilling attachment.

However, when the manual control is started after returning the left operating lever 26L to the neutral state in order to stop the machine control function, the movement of the excavation attachment is completely stopped even if it is temporary. The operator may feel annoyed. Further, when the machine control function is stopped, the boom 4 suddenly stops, so that the operator may feel uncomfortable.

However, in order to avoid such a feeling of complexity or discomfort, the operator operates the right operating lever 26R in the dark clouds even though the operator cannot specify the desired lever operating angle. As shown by the dotted line in FIG. 9B, the boom raising pilot pressure may suddenly increase beyond a desired level. As a result, the movement of the excavation attachment may become unstable. The state in which the operator cannot specify the desired lever operation angle means, for example, a state in which the right operation lever 26R remains in the neutral state when the boom 4 is automatically raised by the autonomous control unit 30C. To do.

When the boom 4 is automatically raised by autonomous control, the controller 30 according to the present embodiment tilts the right operating lever 26R to a lever operating angle commensurate with the current rising speed of the boom 4, and therefore operates a desirable lever operating amount. Can help a person identify. Therefore, the operator can shift the autonomous control to the manual control without stopping the movement of the excavation attachment and without destabilizing the movement of the excavation attachment.

As a result, the boom-raising pilot pressure reaches a desired level at time t3, which is higher than the level at the time of autonomous control, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 9B. That is, the operator can increase the boom raising pilot pressure to a desired level at an earlier timing than when the movement of the excavation attachment is completely stopped and then the movement of the excavation attachment is restarted. Further, the operator can increase the ascending speed of the boom 4 without changing the lever operating angle of the left operating lever 26L, that is, without changing the closing speed of the arm 5.

As described above, the excavator 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes an operating device 26 for manually operating the actuator and an operating tool driving device 50 for moving the operating device 26. Then, the operating tool driving device 50 is configured to move the operating device 26 corresponding to the actuator that is moving by autonomous control. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 8, the lever drive device 50RB as the operation tool drive device 50 booms the right operation lever 26R, which corresponds to the boom cylinder 7 operated by autonomous control and is not operated by the operator. It is configured to move in the upward direction.

With this configuration, the excavator 100 can smooth the movement of the driven body (boom 4 in the example shown in FIG. 8) when switching from the autonomous control to the manual control. This is because the operator can intuitively recognize the amount of operation of the operating device 26 corresponding to the operating speed of the actuator moving by autonomous control when starting the manual operation. That is, as soon as the excavator 100 is switched from the autonomous control to the manual control, the actuator is moved by the operating amount significantly different from the operating amount of the operating device 26 corresponding to the operating speed of the actuator moving by the autonomous control. This is because it can be prevented from being lost. As a result, the excavator 100 can improve the safety and workability of the operator. In addition, the excavator 100 can improve its operability.

In the example shown in FIG. 8, the operator performing the leveling work can see the lever operating angle of the automatically moving right operating lever 26R, or can use the hand attached to the right operating lever 26R to operate the right operating lever. By feeling the movement of the 26R, it is possible to intuitively grasp how much the right operating lever 26R should be tilted in order to realize the ascending speed of the boom 4 by autonomous control. Therefore, the operator can smoothly take over the movement of the boom 4 by the autonomous control that is currently being performed by the movement of the boom 4 by the manual operation without destabilizing the movement of the boom 4 by the boom cylinder 7. it can.

The actuator may include a main actuator that operates in response to a manual operation on the corresponding operating device 26 and a subordinate actuator that operates in response to the movement of the main actuator. In the example shown in FIG. 8, the main actuator is the arm cylinder 8, and the subordinate actuators are the boom cylinder 7 and the bucket cylinder 9.

In this case, the operating tool driving device 50 may be configured to move the operating device 26 corresponding to the dependent actuator that is moving by autonomous control. In the example shown in FIG. 8, the lever driving device 50RB as the operating tool driving device 50 moves the right operating lever 26R corresponding to the arm cylinder 8 as the subordinate actuator moving by autonomous control in the boom raising direction or the boom lowering direction. It may be configured as follows.

With this configuration, when the operator manually operates the arm cylinder 8 as the main actuator by the left operation lever 26L, the operator operates the right operation commensurate with the operating speed of the boom cylinder 7 as the subordinate actuator that is moving by autonomous control. The lever operating angle of the lever 26R can be intuitively recognized. Therefore, the operator switches the combined control, which is a combination of the autonomous control of the boom cylinder 7 and the manual control of the arm cylinder 8, to the combination of the manual control of the boom cylinder 7 and the manual control of the arm cylinder 8. However, the movement of the excavation attachment by the combined control can be smoothly taken over by the movement of the excavation attachment by the manual control without destabilizing the movement of the boom cylinder 7 as the subordinate actuator.

The drive of the operation device 26 by the operation tool drive device 50 may be configured to be stopped when the autonomous control is stopped. In the example shown in FIG. 8, the right operating lever 26R is driven by the lever driving device 50RB when the boom cylinder 7 is moving by autonomous control, but for example, the pressing of the switch NS is stopped and the autonomous control is stopped. It is configured to be stopped when it is done. When the drive of the right operating lever 26R by the lever driving device 50RB is stopped, the right operating lever 26R is neutralized by the restoring force of the spring (not shown) that was compressed when the right operating lever 26R was tilted. Return to the state.

With this configuration, the operator can intuitively grasp that the autonomous control has stopped by seeing the operating device 26 return to the neutral state when the autonomous control is stopped.

The driving of the operating device 26 by the operating tool driving device 50 is typically configured to be stopped instantly when the autonomous control is stopped, but a predetermined time has elapsed since the autonomous control was stopped. It may be configured to be stopped when it is used. For example, this is to allow the operating device 26 to slowly return to the neutral state. In this case, the operating tool driving device 50 may be configured so that its driving force gradually decreases.

A plurality of operation tool driving devices 50 may be arranged. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the operating tool drive device 50 includes lever drive devices 50LA and 50LB attached to the left operation lever 26L, lever drive devices 50RA and 50RB attached to the right operation lever 26R, and a lever attached to the left travel lever 26DL. The drive device 50DL and the lever drive device 50DR attached to the right traveling lever 26DR are included.

However, the operating tool driving device 50 may be composed of only the lever driving device 50RB capable of tilting the right operating lever 26R in the boom raising direction and the boom lowering direction, and the left operating lever 26L may be set in the arm closing direction and the arm closing direction. It may be composed only of the lever drive device 50LA that can be tilted in the arm opening direction. That is, the operating tool drive device 50 may be composed of at least one of the lever drive devices 50LA, 50LB, 50RA, 50RB, 50DL, and 50DR.

Further, the lever drive device 50RB may be configured so that the right operating lever 26R can be tilted only in the boom raising direction, and the right operating lever 26R can be tilted only in the boom lowering direction. You may. The same applies to the lever drive devices 50LA, 50LB, 50RA, 50DL, and 50DR.

The excavator 100 may be configured to notify the outside that the switching from the autonomous control to the manual control has been performed. For example, when the controller 30 detects that the switching from the autonomous control to the manual control has been performed, the controller 30 outputs a control command to at least one of the sound output device AD and the display device DS, and a sound indicating that fact. At least one of the information and the image information may be output.

With this configuration, the operator of the excavator 100 can confirm that the switching from the autonomous control to the manual control has been performed.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Various modifications or substitutions can be applied to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Also, the features described separately can be combined as long as there is no technical conflict.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the controller 30 is configured to automatically move the operating device 26 installed inside the cabin 10 by controlling the operating tool driving device 50, but the excavator 100 It may be configured to automatically operate a support device as a remote control device, which is an operation device for remote control installed externally. In this case, even if at least one of the position calculation unit 30A, the trajectory acquisition unit 30B, the autonomous control unit 30C, the control mode switching unit 30D, and the operation tool drive unit 30E is realized by a device outside the excavator 100. Good.

FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing a configuration example of the excavator remote control system SYS. The remote control system SYS is a system for remotely controlling the excavator 100. In the present embodiment, the remote control system SYS mainly includes an excavator 100 and a support device 200.

The support device 200 is typically a fixed terminal device, and is composed of, for example, a computer installed in an office or the like located away from the construction site. The support device 200 may be composed of a portable computer (for example, a portable terminal device such as a notebook PC, a tablet PC, or a smartphone).

The support device 200 includes a monitor and an operation tool. The operating tool is, for example, a lever or a pedal. The remote operator can remotely control the excavator 100 at a remote position by manually operating the operating tool. The support device 200 is connected to the controller 30 via, for example, a satellite communication network, a mobile phone communication network, a wireless LAN, or the like. An operation tool driving device as shown in FIG. 7 is attached to the operation tool. The operation tool drive device is configured to move the operation tool corresponding to the actuator that is moving by autonomous control, similarly to the operation tool drive device 50 shown in FIG. 7.

The controller 30 of the excavator 100 transmits the image captured by the image pickup device 80 to the support device 200. Further, the controller 30 may transmit information regarding at least one such as data regarding the work contents of the excavator 100, data regarding the posture of the excavator 100, and data regarding the posture of the excavator attachment to the support device 200. The remote operator can remotely control the excavator 100 by operating the operating tool while viewing various information including images sent from the controller 30 on the monitor.

1 ... Lower traveling body 1C ... Crawler 1CL ... Left crawler 1CR ... Right crawler 2 ... Swivel mechanism 2A ... Swivel hydraulic motor 2M ... Traveling hydraulic motor 2ML ... Left-running hydraulic motor 2MR ・ ・ ・ Right-running hydraulic motor 3 ・ ・ ・ Upper swivel body 4 ・ ・ ・ Boom 5 ・ ・ ・ Arm 6 ・ ・ ・ Bucket 7 ・ ・ ・ Boom cylinder 8 ・ ・ ・ Arm cylinder 9 ・・ ・ Bucket cylinder 10 ・ ・ ・ Cabin 11 ・ ・ ・ Engine 11a ・ ・ ・ Alternator 11b ・ ・ ・ Starter 13 ・ ・ ・ Regulator 14 ・ ・ ・ Main pump 14c ・ ・ ・ Oil temperature sensor 15 ・ ・ ・ Pilot pump 17 ・・ ・ Control valve unit 18 ・ ・ ・ Aperture 19 ・ ・ ・ Control pressure sensor 26 ・ ・ ・ Operating device 26D ・ ・ ・ Traveling lever 26DL ・ ・ ・ Left traveling lever 26DR ・ ・ ・ Right traveling lever 26L ・ ・ ・ Left operating lever 26R ・ ・ ・ Right operation lever 28 ・ ・ ・ Discharge pressure sensor 29, 29DL, 29DR, 29LA, 29LB, 29RA, 29RB ・ ・ ・ Operation sensor 30 ・ ・ ・ Controller 30A ・ ・ ・ Position calculation unit 30B ・ ・ ・ Track acquisition Unit 30C ・ ・ ・ Autonomous control unit 30D ・ ・ ・ Control mode switching unit 30E ・ ・ ・ Operation tool drive unit 31, 31AL to 31DL, 31AR to 31DR ・ ・ ・ Proportional valve 40 ・ ・ ・ Center bypass pipeline 42 ・ ・ ・Parallel pipeline 49 ... Alarm device 50 ... Operator drive device 50LA, 50LB, 50RA, 50RB ... Lever drive device 70 ... Object detection device 70F ... Front sensor 70B ... Rear sensor 70L・ ・ ・ Left sensor 70R ・ ・ ・ Right sensor 74 ・ ・ ・ ECU 75 ・ ・ ・ Engine speed adjustment dial 80 ・ ・ ・ Imaging device 80B ・ ・ ・ Rear camera 80L ・ ・ ・ Left camera 80R ・ ・ ・Right camera 85 ... Direction detection device 100 ... Excavator 171-176 ... Control valve 200 ... Support device AD ... Sound output device BT ... Storage battery DS ... Display device DSa ...・ Control unit DS1 ・ ・ ・ Image display unit DS2 ・ ・ ・ Switch panel LB ・ ・ ・ Lever button NS ・ ・ ・ Switch S1 ・ ・ ・ Boom angle sensor S2 ・ ・ ・ Arm angle sensor S3 ... Bucket angle sensor S4 ... Airframe tilt sensor S5 ... Turning angular velocity sensor

Claims (6)

An operating device for manually operating the actuator,
Equipped with an operation tool drive device that moves the operation device,
The operating tool driving device is configured to move an operating device corresponding to the actuator that is moving by autonomous control.
Excavator. The actuator includes a main actuator that operates in response to a manual operation on a corresponding operating device and a subordinate actuator that operates in response to the movement of the main actuator.
The operating tool driving device is configured to move an operating device corresponding to the dependent actuator that is moving by autonomous control.
The excavator according to claim 1. The driving of the operating device by the operating tool driving device is stopped when the autonomous control is stopped.
The excavator according to claim 1 or 2. A plurality of the operation tool driving devices are arranged.
The excavator according to any one of claims 1 to 3. Notify the outside that the switch from autonomous control to manual control has been performed,
The excavator according to any one of claims 1 to 4. A shovel support device equipped with an actuator
An operating tool for manually operating the actuator and
Equipped with an operation tool drive device that moves the operation tool,
The operation tool driving device is configured to move an operation tool corresponding to the actuator that is moving by autonomous control.
Excavator support device.

Images